For Christmas this year the littles each received four gifts: do, read, want, need. For John’s “do” gift, he received tickets to Snow Mountain at Stone Mountain Park. Each winter, the park transforms the laser lawn into a winter wonderland, resplendent with *real* snow ripe for tubing and playing!
We had a scream on the mountain, flying down Avalanche Alley and Tube Runners countless times.
Afterwards, we warmed up by the SnoPoint fire pit with hot chocolate and s’mores.
And we wrapped up our day in the Snow Zone, playing in Fort Snow, building and then destroying a variety of strange looking snow men, and having a friendly snowball throwing competition at the Shooting Gallery.
A few tips from a first time snow mountaineer…
1. Buy your tickets in advance and take the first tubing time slot of the day. We were there at eight in the morning and enjoyed an entire hour of tubing with no waiting at all. As soon as the nine o’clock crowd came in the volume more than doubled. The play snow also seemed to get dirty as the day passed.
2. It is real snow and it. is. cold. Bundle up! We wore hats, scarves, ear muffs, coats, shirts, sweaters, multiple pairs of socks and rain boots. (Of course, I don’t do well in the cold so perhaps some might call all that extreme.)
3. If possible, leave the littlest litttles at home. We didn’t bring Cookie and we must have said one gazillion times how glad we were that we didn’t. (Did I really just write that?) The tubes are a little cumbersome but John was able to manage his own. We saw so many people struggling with little people and big tubes. It was also so much fun to be able to ride both Tube Runners and Avalanche Alley at will without having to leave someone behind to watch Cookie. The minimum height to ride alone is 42″. We won’t bring the baby until he’s tall enough.
4. Leave anything that won’t fit into your pockets at home as well. There are lockers to rent but to save money, if it won’t fit in your pocket, just don’t bring it.
5. Restaurants don’t open until eleven so eat before you go if you can’t make do on hot chocolate and s’mores alone.
With snow being a rare treat around these parts, it was a surreal experience. And the PCP pronounced it his best Christmas gift ever!
Afterwards, and with the baby still away, I had the extraordinarily rare treat of snugging up on the sofa with my favorite indulgences (a cup of Pairs tea and a cherry pit pac) and luxuriously drifting off to sleep under my new fur blanket!!!! Come to find out, Honey did the same on the basement sofa (minus tea, cherry pit pac and fur blanket, of course) while the PCP busied himself with Legos.
A splendid day all around!
Stone Mountain Campground | Stone Mountain Park
Stone Mountain Christmas | Snow Mountain
Adventure is Out There 40×41 Bucket List
DIXIE DELIGHTS DELIVERED
What a fun place…and what a great idea to have all those choices as part of their presents! Do you ever run out of ideas?!! Unfortunately, it is cold enough to snow here right now…I like your pink earmuffs.
Have a nice weekend!
-Shelley
It looks like you had a great time on the slopes!
I just looked at all of the pictures of your first house and it is GORGEOUS! What made you want to move?
Thank you :-). Moving was a tough decision. The schools weren't very good so we moved to a better district. We miss that house and our friends there still!
What a most fun filled day spent with your family. I remember my son and husband hiking up that mountain many years ago…
It was cold here in Chapel Hill, but today was warm in the 60's, so non earmuff day for us..Just love yours!
Love Snow Mountain! Can't wait to go before they close. We were planning on going today, but 40% chance of rain.
I have ordered a cherry pit pac and some Harney & Sons tea so I can relax as much as you seemed to! :) Can't wait to try them both!!
Emily – y'all will have a great time!!
Rachel – you will LOVE them! I'm about to make a pot of tea right now.. And John has been falling asleep with my cherry pit pac so I'm tempted to get another :-)
i love your idea of a "do" gift. i saw you do "forever" bday gifts too…do you have any other categories for giving gifts? thanks!
Pink – no more gift categories :-). Just the forever gift for birthdays and the do, want, read, need for Christmas. That one is our own variation on the wear, want, read, need I've seen.